Basefarm to host new railway control systems from Bane NOR

(Oslo, January 31, 2020): In a pilot project, Avinor tested the use of drones and artificial intelligence to inspect airport fences. Basefarm and Senseloop were responsible for the implementation.

Airport fences have several important security functions. However, conditions such as wear and tear, weather and manipulation can alter the condition of the fences, making them permeable to people and animals.

In light of this, Avinor wished to implement a project investigating ways to regularly monitor the situation. Avinor’s societal mission is to secure all of Norway’s aviation services. This includes responsibility for the ownership, development, and operation of a nationwide airport network for the civil sector. The fences are an important part of an airport’s infrastructure.

“Together with Basefarm, we were assigned and conducted a pilot project testing the use of drones for inspecting the airport fences at Svolvær Airport. The project was implemented in the second half of 2019,” says Sølve Grimkelsrud, the CCO of Senseloop.

Senseloop provides services related to automatic and remote-controlled drone operations. The aim of remote-controlled drone operations is to eliminate the need for a drone pilot on the ground. The company deploys drone hangars with drones that are remotely controlled from a drone operation center in Oslo. The drone operations themselves are carried out in close collaboration with the tower/air traffic control service at the airport in question.

These types of drone operations involve a significant amount of data collection and the combination of data from multiple sources. Basefarm possesses key expertise in this area, including advanced data processing and artificial intelligence.

“As this project has demonstrated, big data and data science are keys to automation and streamlining in the future. Our expertise in the fields of machine learning and image analysis played a crucial role in winning the contract,”

– says Knut Rand, VP for Data-Driven Solutions at Basefarm.

Basefarm’s data science initiative involves 20 data scientists and an even larger group of data engineers.

The intention is that a successful pilot project will mean that the concept can also be used at more of Avinor’s 44 airports in Norway, including for the development of further automatic monitoring services in addition to fence monitoring. Other factors beyond the results of the pilot project will determine whether this actually becomes a reality.

About Senseloop

Senseloop has launched remote-controlled drone operations in Norway. The solutions are offered in the market as a service. Unique technology and expertise enable disruptive and cost-effective services. The ambition is to become the leading industrial drone company in the field of data collection and advanced data processing.

For more information, contact Sølve Grimkelsrud at Senseloop at telephone number 907 56 134 or Robert Baumann at Basefarm at telephone number 982 42 560

About Basefarm, an Orange Business Services subsidiary

Basefarm is a European Managed Service Provider of business-critical IT solutions. The company creates market leaders by integrating the key competencies for digital transformation – big data, cloud computing and information security, into one service offering. Our delivery model covers the entire spectrum from innovation through commissioning to continuous production, including strategy consulting, implementation projects and infrastructure operations with a common operating model regardless of the cloud platform chosen. Basefarm was established in Norway in 2000 where the company also provides data centre services. A team of over 760 IT engineers and consultants services global clients from European offices and data centres in Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria.

In August 2018, Basefarm was acquired by the Orange Group, a leading global telecommunications operator, to reinforce the cloud expertise of its enterprise division Orange Business Services. For more information, go to www.orange-business.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and our blogs.

For more information, contact Petter M. Tømmeraas on +47 930 13 923 or Robert Baumann with Basefarm on +47 982 42 560